Friday, 1 March 2013

Fast Lane...a little

The first step along a White Belt's road to promotion is advancement to the Reflex Development class. They continue with their regular two classes per week and add this third one.

That third class is very different. The assumption there is that the students have a basic understanding. Things are not explained in detail. We generally work on the curriculum in big chunks.

Instead of doing one standing and one ground technique per night, we do about 15. We work on all of the guard techniques, or those of mount, side mount, or standing.

The white belts work away, and are expected to work towards test-quality delivery.

They also get to watch the various levels of Blue Belts working the same way. They get to see the much cooler stuff that awaits them down the road. Sometimes jaws drop open.

They must attend at least 12 of these classes before they are permitted to test for their own Blue Belts. Of course, there are other requirements as well.

I have decided to make it my business to help White Belts reach Reflex Development class earlier.

To qualify, they must have completed 40 of the White Belt ordinary classes. If they can find a Blue Belt to drill them on one of the lessons on open-mat night, they get credit for that class.

Tonight I worked with Elizabeth. This moved her one click closer to Reflex Development. She will now be there week after next.

There is a young guy who is the next most advanced. He needs about ten more classes to qualify. That would normally take five weeks. If I work with him a couple of times, he'll shave off a week. If we work together four times, he gains two weeks total.

Why do I care? It's because we are low on Blue Belts, and for the Whites to become Blue they first have to reach Reflex Development class.

No big effort from me, they get to progress faster, and the club gets Blue Belts more quickly.

I don't really see a downside.

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